She Stays [Hardcover]

Andy Landis (Author), Bettye Shelton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 1995

She Stays takes you behind the scenes of the dream-come-true romance of Bettye and Ricky Van Shelton to a world of personal struggle and turmoil that threatened to destroy their marriage and everything they held dear. It also brings you face-to-face with a woman's commitment to her marriage and the pain of forgiving that to many would be unforgivable - including infidelity and alcoholism - unless you knew that what you had was really worth keeping.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 286 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 2 edition (September 22, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785277420
• ISBN-13: 978-0785277422
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,223,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Love Is Not Always Easy., December 14, 2004

By 

Betty Burks "Betty Burks" (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: She Stays (Hardcover)

This book is partly autobiography and parly inspirational, depending on what you get out of it. It was published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, a Christian firm in Nashville, TN.

While country singer/songwriter Ricky Van Shelton was pursuing his dreams, the dutiful wife waited at home on their 150-acre ranch outside Nashville, in Davidson County. He'd collected fifties model cars, Coca-Cola signs, cowboy memorabilia, and a life-size cigar store Indian, but his absence hurt.

Bettye had earned a degree in music business from Belmont University, (called Ward Belmont College for Young Ladies initially) in a beautiful setting where a strange-looking metal statue of a phoenix has its home hid behind some magnolia trees there (almost unnoticed now) on campus. When my son Zach was a student of creative writing at Belmont, he introduced me to this mythological character which had arisen out of its own ashes and it was fairly new at that location. Perhaps Bettye thought of this statue as she tried to rescue her marriage from ashes (almost).

Before he became a star, they'd enjoyed happy, fun-filled, but simple, life. Afterwards, it became a struggle and turmoil in her personal life which threatened to destroy their marriage. She had the courage to endure and fight for what she knew was worth keeping.

She confided to a woman she scarcely knew who was engaged to her husband's producer. They became close friends and Andy Landis wrote: It was a privilege to have been called to your side; "I wouldn't have missed it for the world." I wrote those same words to a person I met three years ago, quite by chance, and value enough to try to tame some of my innate impulsiveness and enthusiasm. James Van Praagh wrote in his book TALKING TO HEAVEN: "So often in life it is our desire to be loved that we tend to fall victim to our own making. Because we believe it is what is expected in order to have the love of someone else, we compromise who we truly are. We create an image. We have given our power and a piece of ourselves to the beloved. We have left our centeredness and given away a part of our self-wholeness. We can never be truly happy until we live our own lives."

With the help of her new friend, Andy, Bettye discovered this and worked hard to salvage what she could from the ashes of a slightly-chipped (not broken) marriage to the person she truly loved. This intimate story shows that there is a way to 'heal an unmended hurt.'

It portrays a woman (two women, really) who have intelligence, compassion, integrity, and enough grit for 'tough love.' It takes a strong person to endure and perservere. Bettye's 'angel in the flesh' confesses to being a 'late bloomer.' So was I. It is as much her story as the Sheltons, as we follow her own personal demons and triumphs.

'She Stays' is a featured song on the 'Common Ground' CD (a duet sung by Andy Landis and Ricky Van Shelton), as they pay tribute to Bettye's courage and commitment to her marriage -- which she saved through the pain of forgiveness. The song was written by Allen Shamblin in collaboration with Andy Landis. It was included in this CD of 'Songs of Faith, Love and Inspiration,' a compilation including other country music singers.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IT CAN HAPPEN TO THE BEST OF US, July 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: She Stays (Hardcover)

I just finished Mrs. Shelton's book, "She Stays" this past month. Like my Mom, I read it all at once. I loved it. It is the greatest book I have ever read! I am so happy for Mr. and Mrs. Shelton. I am so pleased that they were able to find God like that. Also to Andy, I hope I can have a friend like her, through the miracle of God. I feel like Mrs. Shelton is my Aunt, and I am so happy for her. It is so great that she can have a happy marriage with Ricky Van Shelton, and share their awesome story with the world! I am 16 yrs. old, and plan to have my own daughter read "She Stays" some day.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once I began reading this book, I could not put it down., July 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: She Stays (Hardcover)

I think that Bettye Shelton has shown us how love, devotion, and prayer can change your life. She endured a time in her life when she easily could have walked out on her husband, Ricky Van Shelton. She chose to stay, and work through it because of her love for him, and her faith in God. Her friends were there for her when she needed them, and helped her to gain back her self esteem and to "fight the good fight" to win back her husband. I could not put this book down, and have now read it three times. A must for every woman who loves her husband.